Music for listeners. Music by listeners.

Optophono was established in 2013 as a music label that goes beyond fixed recordings. Instead of publishing fixed media such as CDs or DVDs, we make interactive editions that we print on external drives and USBs. Each edition comes with software or hardware that makes it possible for the listener to create their own music at home. Our aim is to change how recordings are conceived and created by artists, and how they are experienced by listeners.

Optophono is currently based in Oxford, England. Our projects have featured the work of artists, designers, and software designers from cities that include Belfast, Berlin, Montréal, New York City, Oxford, London, Toronto, San Francisco, Blacksburg, VA.

some of OUR PROJECTS

Music for Sleeping & Waking Minds. An overnight composition for sleeping performers who wear EEG sensors and generate audio and visuals through their brainwave activity.

Long for this World. An interactive, software-based composition that enables listeners to create their own music for sleeping.

EDEN EDEN EDEN. A 6-hour composition for string ensemble and film, performed overnight for audiences who experience the work in various stages of attention, including sleep and awakening.

The Great Learning, Paragraph 7. An interactive version of Cornelius Cardew's composition for mixed choir. Our Optophono edition includes an installation version of this work (2-channel video) and an interactive digital version that allows listeners to create their own mix of the composition using our software.

Rives et Dérivesby Sandeep Bhagwati. This is a composition for either choir or mixed ensemble with a computer-generated score that is generated in real time.

From Optophono Edition 1: The Great Learning. Card game / card design by Tom Hughes. Photo by Tom Hughes.